What was lost and What was found
by mindblower4729
Summary: People wander in this world, seeking the path to their purpose. Sometimes, things are found that they would not expect and what they find will change their very being. But sometimes, what they find can easily be lost again. Aruani Week. Day One.


**Hi, as you can see this is my first post for a Shingeki no Kyojin fanfic. **

**Normally, I am very indifferent about Fanfiction, mainly because I have plans for a novel I want to finish and get published. Also, my views conflict with writing fanfics. It's not to say I don't read them, I do. I like some and I don't like others. But I like people to create their own ideas rather than use material others. No offense to those out there who writes this stuff. **

**But darn it, ever since I got hooked on Shingeki no Kyojin, I began to develop feelings for the shipping of Armin and Annie. And that is saying something because I don't really have any OTPs I support, I just go with what happens. This pairing however, I just love it. The chemistry and potential between these two is just so... is endearing the right word? I honestly hope that Isayama would expand the relationship between the two. **

**There is a lot of potential for this pairing and it is so much fun to think about. I like how both of them have similar hair and eye colour, albeit different shades. And I guess you can say: I have a liking for blond couples, from Jaime and Cersei Lannister to Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell (10 points to those who knows what I am referring to).**

**Not to mention, if these two ever get married, (likelihood is rather low considering the tone of the manga) their child would also be a blond haired, blue eyed child. And Annie's full name would be like Armin's: Double Alliteration, Armin Arlert, Annie Arlert. (Oh wow their first names have the same number of letters in them) And you know what their child would be called? Armani, it's a real name that can be used for both boys and girls. I read that in Persian origin it means 'desire' and in African origin it means 'faith'. Maybe it's just me, but that kind of describes how Armin and Annie feel to a degree. Oh I love critical analysis. **

**And that's why I'm here, I don't really know if this pairing is considered popular but I decided to support it by writing a few fanfictions of this pairing. To those of you who may not notice, it is AruAni week, so expect me to post a fanfic on each day with regards to the different themes. That's just how much I actually love this pairing. **

**But know this, I am only writing fanfictions because of this event. When the 7 days are up, I will be back to my writing. I want to try and finish at least three quarters of it in this year. Shikashi, if there are those who want me to continue writing for this pairing or want me to write a multi-chapter work, I will take it into consideration. But let's see how you guys think about my works first, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: All properties and characters of Shingeki no Kyojin belong to Hajime Isayama. **

[%]

He nearly lost his balance after he went for the kill. He could feel his body beginning to spiral into an uncontrollable motion. Thinking quickly he fired his hook to a nearby tree before his body could fall downward. His aim was true as it pierced through the wood and the line began to straighten. He could feel his body jerk to the side as he was swung toward a branch strong enough to support his weight. The landing didn't come off as perfect when his body tilted forward from the momentum of the swinging but his feet remained perched on the branch. He released the hook from the tree and watched as it retracted into the piston. He turned around to face his results, only to be met with disappointment.

"Damn it, still not deep enough." He wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Armin knew he wasn't the strongest when it comes to physical strength, but after two years of training he would've expected to gain some muscle to at least perform a decent kill. It took a lot of his upper body strength to cut through the wooden replica of the Titan's weak spot and the wound ended up being less than half of the width of the neck.

"Cadet Arlert!" Armin flinched at the sound of the stern voice belonging to the ever intimidating instructor. Keith Shadis landed on a higher branch of a tree opposite of Armin's. Armin could not stop his body shaking, as the instructor glared at him with such a churlish expression. Whether he was shaking due to the after effects of his attack or the emotion of shame crawling through his spine, Armin tried to suppress the unbearable feeling.

"Why the hell are you still standing around?" He pointed to the wooden Titan, "Your target is still alive and you would've been Titan chow. Do you really think that nick you performed could kill it so easily?"

Armin immediately straightened his posture, "Sorry sir."

He prepped his blades and pushed the trigger, the hook fired out and dug into the hard bark of the tree Shadis was occupying. Armin jumped off and felt the maneuver gear pull him to the not-so-dead Titan.

'_This time, I have to cut deeper!'_ He readied his swords as he was closing in on the Titan.

He raised them up to his right and let out a determined battle cry.

His hands swung fiercely and...

... Nothing

He blinked. His mouth opened matching his shocked face.

'_I missed? How could I –'_

His expression turned from mortified to trepidation when his mind focused back on the present. He was transfixed with his thoughts that he didn't realize he was about to crash into the tree. He fired his remaining hook, hoping to redirect his path and swing away to another tree.

Unfortunately the timing was way too late when he felt the left side of his body slam against the hard bark and his momentum was broken. The hook dislodged from the tree the moment Armin had impacted the tree. He stifled a painful yelp as he began to fall.

The dummy Titan was at least 14 metres tall, meaning that he was going to experience pain all over his body when he contacted with the ground. Armin tried firing his hooks, only to dreadfully realize that they weren't retracting fast enough. All he could do was close his eyes and grit his teeth as the descent quickened.

It was then when he felt his body come into contact with something. But it wasn't the ground.

Armin's eyes snapped open when he felt his back collide with someone, causing him and the unknown trainee to fall. Fortunately for Armin, whoever was against his back had cushioned the fall. Of course he would never think of this as fortunate at all. The person under him took the full force of the impact while he was bumped off and landed on the grass.

'_I'm... alright.'_ He concluded in his mind, '_But who did I just..."_

Armin looked up from his position, his blue eyes landed on a familiar petite blonde with eyes of blue as she got up on her knees easily. At first he thought he had knocked down Krista, but when he realized how half-lidded her eyes were, Armin felt his entire being shudder. Out of all the possible cadets he could've hit, she was the most unlikely.

He was immediately on his feet and ran to the crouching blonde.

"A-Annie!" He cried out, "Are you alright?"

The young girl turned her gaze up toward him. Armin could feel himself shrink as those eyes glared at him, if it was possible, her eyes could even cut through his flesh just by staring. Needless to say, he had to defuse the bomb that was going to go off in front of him.

"Uh, d-do you... need some... help?" He failed to stop the stuttering that showed the evidence of his rising fear. But he swallowed what negative emotion he had and offered his hand to her with a straight face, a rather sweaty straight face.

Annie huffed an annoyed grunt when she stood on her own. She paid no heed to Armin's gesture of assistance, only stared at him with her piercing glare.

Armin immediately lowered his head and started rambling, "I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean for that to happen. I-I was distracted by –"

"Just stop." Armin could detect a tone of aggravation in her voice. He gulped as he raised his head to see she had turned her back to him and started walking away.

Armin took a few steps toward her, "You aren't hurt, are you?" The concern was evident in his voice.

Annie scoffed, "The only thing you've hurt was both our prides, not that you have any to begin with. In all honesty, I'm surprised you managed to make it this far."

Armin's expression turned grim as he lowered his head again.

The sound of a hook being shot into the air was audible. When it came into contact with the tree, Annie spoke once more.

"For your sake, you better not land on me the next time you fall." She warned. The sound of gas hissing came next, Armin didn't have to look up to know she was gone.

He just stared at the ground, rewinding the words that Annie spoke to him.

'_How did I even make it this far?'_ He thought, _'How is it that I am not one of the cadets who lost their lives during those two years of training?'_

His fist tightened around the sword he carried, he felt the disappointment mix with the shame. The mixture was his heart dropping into an abyss of sorrow as he reminded how weak he was. His eyes slammed shut when he swung his sword aggravatingly. The blade dislodged from the handle as it was sent flying to a tree. The steel contacted with the wood emitting a loud ringing sound.

"Damn it!" He yelled.

"Arlert! What the hell are you doing now?"

Armin, who is still in the middle of the whirlwind of negative emotions, didn't look to see Shadis descending to the ground. His expression remained angry and stern as he looked from Armin to the blade he had thrown.

"All that anger you have would be more beneficial to killing then hitting trees. You'd be dead by now Arlert. You and Leonhardt would both be dead because you couldn't stop yourself from failing." Shadis walked in front of the short blond, "Do you want that blood on your hands, Cadet Arlert?" He yelled with such strictness in his voice.

Armin didn't answer. Judging from his downcast face Shadis could tell he was upset, but in the midst of training for the good of mankind, sympathy was the least of the things that a soldier needed in war.

"What's that crappy look for? You going to up? I ought to send you to the fields for wasting both our times. Is that what you want Arlert?"

That got his attention, remembering his original ambition of joining the Trainee Corps finally snapped him out of his reverie.

'_I... I refuse to die a burden. I won't!'_

Armin quickly saluted, "No sir!"

Somewhat satisfied of his sudden determination Shadis's gaze became less resentful. Granted, not a lot of people could differentiate the different facial expressions of the ever-so strict instructor. But this fact is usually digressed.

"You managed to survive 2 years in training. I would have expected you to improve, but unsurprisingly, it was quite the opposite." He insulted, "Twenty laps. Ten for your failure to kill that Titan twice and ten for endangering your own comrade. When we head back, you will be running until you finish, I wouldn't even give a shit if you die from exhaustion. Understood!"

"Yes sir!" Armin exclaimed.

No sooner had he finished yelling, Shadis had shot himself through the air, going deeper into the forest. Armin was once again left on his own. He stood as he felt what was left of his frustration dissipate. He let out a tired sigh before turning to grab the blade he had flung. As he turned, his eyes caught the sight of something on the ground.

Armin walked to the object that lay on the ground. He picked it off the grass and looked at it closely.

"A hair band?" he asked himself. Why would it be lying on the ground?

"Maybe it came off during training. But who does it belong to?"

It was a rather redundant question since he already had an idea who this hair band belonged to.

Annie Leonhardt.

[%]

The training was finished by the time the sun is about to set. All the cadets had assembled and split to separate carts to return their used equipment. Annie had followed with Mina Carolina, Thomas Wagner, Hannah and Franz to the cart they had grabbed their gear. Franz and Thomas were talking to each other about how they had improved. Hannah voiced how she didn't do so well at today's training. Franz was quick to say otherwise. Annie was not paying any attention to the conversation and was putting her equipment into the cart, she started to remove the straps from her shirt when someone called out to her.

"How did you do today, Annie?"

Annie looked at the girl who she found tolerable to sit with. The girl with her black hair tied in pigtails smiled at Annie with that friendly grin of hers. Annie pulled the straps off.

"The same as usual." She answered bluntly.

Mina placed her gear beside Annie's, "Your definitely getting into the Military Police with that kind of performance. I'm so jealous."

Mina's expression says differently to her supposed envy for the shorter girl, she still had that smile on her face. Not that Annie cared, a person who cannot excel in their performance would deserve only as much as they attempted, sometimes though, they might deserve even less.

"Oh Annie, when did you decide to let your hair down?"

Annie stopped what she was doing, "My hair isn't down."

Mina shook her head, "It is."

Annie moved her hand and felt her hair had been freed from the bun she had tied. Annie's eyes widened a bit in surprise, but because her head was still down, Mina could not see the expression on Annie's face.

She recalled all that had happened today and came to the quick conclusion of what had happened. The fall caused by Armin must've loosened the grip of her hair band. Annie's eyes turned back to their apathetic expression, but with a small hint of irritation if one were to look close enough.

"I guess it must've fallen off when I was moving through the forest." She stated.

"Really?" Mina looked a bit shocked, "Maybe you didn't tie it tight enough today."

"No, I have an idea what happened."

Just as Mina was about to ask, the senior military men called for them to begin leaving for the mess hall.

Annie pulled her hoodie up to cover her dishevelled hair, hopefully no one else had seen her hair down. She and Mina began to walk to where the other trainees began to crowd in with Thomas, Franz and Hannah following behind them.

[%]

The mess hall of the Trainee Corps was what you would expect: A standard, wooden hall that had enough room for all the students of the military. Because of the limited access of land for the humans food had to be rationed. The breach of Wall Maria had caused more damage to the food supply and as a result, some of the people starved to death due to the disproportionate distribution of their meals. Some didn't even get any at all. It wasn't shocking to discover that those people who were the victims came from the towns and areas of Wall Maria.

Since they were training to be soldiers of humanity, the Trainees were able to have three square meals a day. Despite the fact that the meals were the same glumpy soup, a roll of bread and a jug of water, the Trainees had their fill to survive another day.

Conversations of loud volume were thriving as the cadets dined on their supper. This was the usual activity that the trainees grew accustomed to. Their entertainment comes from the friendly chatter between 2 to 5 people, and even the skirmish between one angry German boy and an incredibly honest, horse-faced brunet is found to be amusing.

Indeed, everything in the dining hall was the way it usually is.

There is one thing missing though...

"Eren, eat." The Titan obsessed boy turned to the black haired Oriental girl beside him.

Eren swallowed a spoonful of soup before speaking.

"I am eating, Mikasa."

The Oriental girl shook her head and drank from her cup.

"By now, you would've been nearly done with your meal. But you haven't even finished half of your soup." Mikasa countered.

Eren looked down on the still barely touched meal in front of him. He is eating a lot slower than usual. But he can't really be blamed, especially since his attention was drawn to a dear friend that was presently absent from their table.

"I'm worried about Armin." Eren admitted, "Supper is almost over and he still hasn't showed up." He grabbed the plate of soup and chugged it down. It wasn't as hot as it was before, which won't cause any burns to course in his throat.

Mikasa remained quiet, but it doesn't take much for Eren to know that she was also concerned for their blond friend.

Eren placed the plate back on his tray. His eyes travelled to his foster sister briefly, her attention was now fixated at her own plate. Taking the opportunity, he grabbed the untouched bread off his tray and pocketed it.

"Eren, eat your bread."

Eren gave her a deadpanned look, "I just did."

"No you didn't. I saw you putting it in your pocket." Mikasa's gaze was still on her tray as she put her cup down.

Eren wanted to deny her claim, but seeing as how he was not going to fool her. He sighed in defeat.

"It's for Armin. Better he didn't have to be the only one to starve tonight." He said.

Mikasa thought otherwise. Soup was more of an appetizer than a real meal to even partially satisfy the hunger in their stomachs. The Shiganshina trio each survived with just one loaf of bread during the two years they spent confined in Wall Sina. Bread was more than enough to fill what the soup could only do little of.

"You should eat more. Soup isn't enough for someone who wants to kill all the Titans." Mikasa reached into her pocket and Eren's eyes widened as she pulled out her own roll of bread.

She ripped the roll into even halves and gave one half to Eren.

"There, now all three of us can be satisfied tonight." Mikasa blankly said.

Eren had assumed Mikasa had finished her bread earlier than he had. Then again he was in his own thoughts to not even notice her actions at all.

'_Hypocrite.'_ Eren thought to himself, but he still took the bread she offered to him. Least she shoves it into his mouth if he refused.

It was heartening to know that Mikasa also cared for Armin to a degree, well at least this proved she wasn't completely concerned just about Eren's well being.

The bell rang, signalling the end of supper. And to both their dismay, Armin had not appeared. Eren was quick to gulp what was left of his water and carried his tray to the pile of other dirty dishes.

When he was finished with the task, he left the building with Mikasa following him all the way.

The two entered the outside to be greeted with a gentle breeze of wind and the shining background of twilight. Mikasa tucked the red scarf tighter around her neck as the two began searching for their friend.

"How many more laps do you think he has?" Eren asked.

"This is Armin we're talking about, Eren. But let's just hope it is not too many." She answered neutrally.

[%]

The perimeter of Trainee Corp's barracks and fields was considerably large. Whenever someone was to be punished by doing laps they are required to run around the entire area until they either drop dead or finish. On average, a generic soldier with moderate running speed could complete one lap in about eight to ten minutes. Of course there are a few exceptions that manage to do it in fewer than five, which is incredibly unbelievable given the size and distance they had to run around. Most had survived the punishment while a small few of those unlucky ones that couldn't finish had to leave the corps and work in the fields.

'_I- I refuse to be a burden.'_

The poor boy had started to feel the exhaustion and unbearable cramps beginning to overtake his insides. But still he moved forward, albeit at a rather slow pace. Even if he was too weak to carry less than twice times his own weight, Armin was able to compensate the lack of physical strength with improvement of his speed. Before, he probably couldn't last 5 minutes of running, but the training made his feet stronger. Now, he could run considerably better than his previous times.

He passed tower with the small windmill on the top, indication that he finished his final lap.

Armin slowed down, but the weight of exhaustion made his feet collapse. He was on his knees with his hands pressed on the ground and his breathing turning harsh. His lungs were burning for air and his throat craved rich liquid water. But he had done it. He had finished twenty laps without failing in the process.

And he finished it all a few minutes after supper was over.

Armin could hear his stomach openly complain for sustenance.

"G-Guess I'll have t-to go empty tonight." He said sadly.

He heard the sound of footsteps closing on him, he could feel a shadow overcastting his small stature. Armin looked up to see a hand offering him a waterskin. He looked up to meet the smile of his concerned friend.

"Eren..."

"Are you alright, Armin?" Eren asked.

Armin took the waterskin and downed the water. He needed it. His throat would've become too dry to say another word.

"Easy there, you're going to choke yourself." Eren joked.

Armin wiped his mouth as a few droplets travelled down his chin.

"Good to see that you've finally finished." The voice of Mikasa Ackerman was another welcomed sight for Armin.

"Just wished I could've finished a bit sooner." Armin said.

"You did your best, that's all that counts." Eren reached his hand into his pocket, "Besides, you know I got your back."

Eren handed him the roll of bread he had saved. Armin looked at the bread and back to Eren.

Eren already knew what he was thinking, "You don't have to worry. Mikasa and I shared one. You need this."

Armin was hesitant. He didn't want his friends to burden themselves on his account. Then again, to decline Eren's kindness would only result with him ranting on about why he should just accept the roll. Armin took the bread and took a bite.

"You never told us yet, Armin. Why did you have to run laps?" Eren asked.

Armin swallowed the bread and took a moment to think before answering.

"I messed up during training. That's all." Armin was not going to give too many details about what had happened. He didn't want to bring Annie into the subject and get her involved with his problems.

"It must've been something big for you to do twenty laps." Mikasa spoke, "But regardless, we're glad nothing too bad happened to you, Armin."

Armin smiled, "I'm flattered with your concerns for my wellbeing." He proceeded to stand, "But I want to handle my problems without too much of your assistances."

"Just know we got your back." Eren winked, "Let's head back, I want to discuss something with Reiner."

Armin gave the waterskin back to Eren, "Actually, I want to stop by the girl's dormitory first."

Eren looked perplexed, "Huh? Why?"

In discussions such as these, Armin and Eren always tell one another everything they do or thought. It was, after all, what best friends do. But sometimes, the details are not always spoken explicitly when they are too personal.

Armin thought it over before giving his answer, "I just need to see Annie."

Bewildered was probably the proper term to describe Eren's expression after that sentence. Mikasa's face remained stoic, but her eyes had confusion and interest in them.

Eren was the one to respond. "Eh? Annie? I've never seen you talking with her at all. What do you need to see her for?"

"Well... it's a long story." Recounting the encounter with Annie resurfaced the words that still affected Armin. He felt the conversation between the two of them was a little too personal for Eren and Mikasa to be involved with.

When he joined the corps, he had made a promise to himself that he will not be weak anymore. That he would grow to become the ideal soldier that is portrayed among the military. He will not let his weaknesses exploit him. This was his problem and he feels that only he can accomplish his own desires. He cannot always depend on others forever.

Mikasa walked up to Armin, blue eyes met with grey. Armin could see something in Mikasa's eyes. From what he could perceive, it was a mixture of dissatisfaction and bemusement.

"Armin, do you have special feelings for her?"

Armin was taken aback. Mikasa was always a straightforward woman, she was the kind of individual that would drop a bombshell like that and think it was casual to ask about. But Armin would never, in all likelihood, thought Mikasa would ask something like that.

"What? N-no!" He was confident in his answer but the stuttering didn't backup his internal beliefs.

Eren was as surprised as Armin was. The idea that Armin had a crush on the shorter blonde was the last thing any of them would even take into consideration.

"Oi, oi Mikasa. That's a broad remark. The two barely interact with one another, let alone know each other."

"I don't know. Maybe it was love at first sight." Mikasa boldly stated.

"Ok, now you're just being unreasonable." Eren retorted.

"Guys! It's nothing like that at all." Armin's face was red with embarrassment. Granted, he doesn't deny the fact that Annie was a pretty girl, but that doesn't insinuate the idea that he had any feelings for her. And that was the truth.

He wanted to argue back at the two, but his eyes caught the sight of a familiar figure walking off into the forest. The figure was wearing a hoodie over their head, and Armin knew only one person in their entire platoon wore an attire with that feature on it.

"Look, guys it's nothing. Really it is. I just need to see Annie and then everything will be resolved. I'll explain it all in the dorm, I promise." Armin started to sprint after the person.

"Oi Armin!" Eren called out. But Armin was already way ahead. For a tired boy he sure can recover fast.

"Eren, leave Armin alone. It's clear this is something he needs to deal with this issue by himself." Mikasa reasoned.

Eren scratched the back of his head in frustration. But he must let Armin settle this problem. Then again, he can probe him for details after.

"Fine, but I'm not going to drop this." He vouched and stormed off to the boy's dormitory.

Mikasa sighed and she followed her adoptive brother. He wasn't looking at her to see the brief smile she made before covering her lower face with her red scarf.

'_Typical.' _She thought to herself.

[%]

Armin was pretty certain that he was way further into the woods then he had hoped. The moment he had entered the forest he had spotted the figure going further deep from the direction he was currently walking on. The sun was almost gone and darkness would soon cloud his vision. He really should've brought proper equipment before he decided to storm off like that. But it was the spar of the moment and he thought he could catch up to her. How wrong he was.

He continued to walk forward, assuming the person he had hoped to meet would be along the path of his trajectory.

The sound of a twig being snapped alerted him. He quickly scanned his surroundings. Around him were trees so tall that their shadows have reduced the amount of light that was left from the setting sun. He couldn't see if there was anybody else, so he walked forward. But this time, ever so slowly.

Suddenly, hands grabbed him by the collar and the next thing he felt was his back being slammed against the trunk of a nearby tree. Armin let out a small cry of pain as his assailant held him firmly.

"Arlert?"

In that one instant, he recognized her voice. Armin looked at the hooded figure that stood shorter than him, both their eyes of different shades of blue held surprise in them as they gazed into one another. Her eyes changed back to their original stoic expression.

"A-Annie... Hi." Armin squeaked.

Annie loosened her hands and with it, the pressure between his back and the tree was gone.

She looked at him with slight disappointment, "I never took you for a stalker on helpless girls."

Armin instantly looked horrified, "N-no! I'm not trying to –"

"Calm down, Arlert. I was only joking."

Armin felt a drop of sweat rolling in the back of his head. He was obviously uncomfortable about the girl's sense of humour. But he tried not to show it.

"Oh. Well that's good. I don't want to bare any ill-will to you." He scratched the back of his head and let out a rather pathetic laugh.

Annie brushed a few locks of her hair away and turned her head ever so slightly, "You won't, unless you tell me why you, the ever so goody two-shoes Armin Arlert, decided to follow a scared and helpless girl such as I."

'_Scared and helpless?_' He could've sworn this girl was still toying with him. The way she moves as she spoke looked cute. Something he would not admit out loud.

"Well, I was actually going to look for you at the dorms. But then I saw you going into the forest and tried to catch up." He explained.

Annie crossed her arms, "That still doesn't explain the whole story. What did you need to see me for?"

"To return something back to you." Armin reached into his pocket and pulled out the hair band.

Annie's eyes widened at the object in Armin's hand.

"I figured you came into the woods to find your hair band. It wasn't really hard to decipher since you decided to suddenly wear a hoodie. Not to mention, I was the one responsible for what you have lost." Armin gulped, "I'm really sorry, Annie."

Annie stared at the item that belonged to her and to the boy that was shyly looking away. True on his words, she did come into the forest to look for her band. It was the only one she had.

Most of the girls in the platoon wear their hairs differently then hers and therefore didn't have any spares similar to the one she needed. And she didn't want to ask cadets that she barely talked to for such a favour. Nevertheless, she was grateful for the fortune that was Armin's consideration. It saved her a lot of time from blindly searching for the piece of hair decor.

"I told you before Arlert, you don't need to apologize." She could've sounded a little less demeaning then she had intended, but changes of a person's personality are difficult to be made.

"But... thank you." She added.

Armin gave her a small smile. The genuine kindness within them was a nice change to the cocky smirks and smug appearances that she had seen on nearly every male cadet. She took the band out of his hand and she pulled her hood down.

Armin was left flabbergasted. This was the first time he had seen the girl's hair down. It wasn't so long but not too short: it stopped near the nape of her neck. Her hair gave off a sense of masculine vibe to her overall appearance, but Armin found that it suited her nicely. It made her different from the other girls, and he liked it.

Annie had tied her hair back into its usual messy bun. When she finished she saw Armin eying her with wide eyes, she suddenly felt self-conscious about exposing her natural look to the boy. Did he find it weird? Normally she wouldn't give a damn about the opinions of others. But this boy in front of her is different. Probably because he was the only boy she knew who didn't make a critique about her appearance. Either way, she didn't like it.

"You got something to say about my hair, Arlert?" she demanded.

Armin snapped out of his daze, "No, no. I've never seen your hair down before."

Annie huffed, "Your making a big fuss over nothing, my hair isn't anything special."

"That's not true. I think it suits you, it makes you look pretty."

... That he really just say that?

Armin covered his mouth the moment those words passed through his lips. Annie stared at him with pure surprise as she felt her cheeks warming.

'_That was... unexpected.'_ She thought.

"You... think I'm pretty?" It felt like a stupid question, but she had to ask.

Armin had never felt more awkward in his life, not even the day when Mikasa had asked the question regarding the origin of babies. Oh boy, was that a rather unpleasant memory.

"Of course!" He was eager to answer, "Your appearance makes you unique, and I find that to be a very admiring concept."

That was a rather strange reply. Sweet, but strange. Despite the compliment, Annie was quick to reject Armin's claim.

"You don't know me, Arlert. If you did, you'd probably think twice about your statement." Annie apathetically said.

That was enough to confuse Armin, what was so wrong about the girl in front of him? It was true that the two barely knew a thing about one another.

"Well, that can be changed." Armin smiled to her.

"Huh?" This day has been a whirlwind of surprises for Annie.

"We still have time before curfew starts. Maybe we can talk a little, get to know one another." Armin proposed.

Annie was taken aback by the boy's offer, was this really happening? The years she spent promising herself that she would not meddle with other people's affairs and suddenly this boy wanted to pry into her life.

"Come on, what's the harm of making new friends?" Armin stretched a hand to her.

One look at his smile and Annie knew she was doomed. This boy was motivated, and damn it, he was going to be persistent. She could tell just by the look of his face.

She let out a sigh of defeat, "Fine."

"Great! I know where we can sit and talk." Armin gestured her to follow him.

Annie hesitated at first, but she pushed whatever doubts she had into the deepest part of her mind and followed Armin.

[%]

The two sat near the edge of the cliff that overlooked the familiar lake. Annie had never crossed this place before in her two years of training, not even the times she walked away in the late nights when she couldn't sleep. It was a beautiful sight. The sun had set and the moon risen, the darkness combined with the moon's illumination gave off a ray of alluring beauty that Annie couldn't help but admire.

"Reiner and Bertholdt took me and Eren to this spot on the second night after we enlisted into the military." Armin said, "I'm guessing you never been here before."

Annie shook her head, "I have crossed this lake several times, but never have I been on this spot at this time of the night. I must say, it's very nice."

"I'm glad you like it."

The two blonds stared at the lake, the silence between was not awkward. It was a mutual silence. They both admired the sight in front of them and enjoyed the company of the other. At least, that was how Armin felt himself.

"You know," Armin began, "Back when I was little, I used to bring out these books that had details about the outside world."

Annie had now turned her attention to the blond. Looking at him closely, she found some of his features to be admirable. The way his hair flowed as a breeze blew against him. How his eyes sparkled with the brightness of the moon. These features she discovered looked nice on him.

"The books tell how there is a large body of water that surrounds the world. It's like this lake in front of us, but imagine it a thousand times bigger. The books called it the Ocean. And it is said to be a beautiful sight to see." Armin explained.

Another interesting thing about Armin, he knew things that others would talk very little about. Annie had never heard of such things of the outside world. It does sound very interesting.

"It's hard to image that much water." Annie said.

Armin chuckled, "Well, we never seen the ocean with our own eyes. So I can understand your doubts."

The smile on Armin's face faded, "If the Titans hadn't existed, we would be free to explore the world outside these walls. The chance to see the ocean with our own eyes, it would be so much better than how I picture it in my mind."

Annie shrugged her shoulders, "There are some things in this world that you have no power over. The moment we lived in these walls, we are expected to live in there for the duration of our lives. As long as the Titans exist, we can never be truly free. That's something we have to accept."

"No."

Annie saw Armin's demeanour change to one of sudden determination.

"No?" she asked.

"I refuse to believe that." Armin looked at her with those hardened eyes, Annie looked at him with surprise in hers, "Outside these walls, there is a world that remains a mystery to us all. If we continue living in these walls, we will never know what it is like out there, in the real world."

Armin took a breath before continuing, "The idea of a sanctuary behind these walls is nothing but a fantasy. We lived in these walls believing everything will be alright and we can live out the rest of our lives happily. That is how a lot of people see it, but I don't want to continue living in these walls. I want to see the outside world. I want to see the ocean. I want to see the flaming mountains and vast lands of frigid ice and sand. If I can see them with my own eyes, I can die a happy man knowing what the outside world is like."

Annie looked at him with bewilderment. This boy had a huge deal of ambition before him, his ideals and motivation is completely different to the other cadets that she had seen. A majority of them came for the chance of increasing their images or to live a better life. But this boy, right in front of her, his goals are different. He seeks dreams that are beyond the common interests of common men. Annie cannot help but feel admiration and respect to the boy beside her.

"Does that mean you plan to join the Survey Corps?" she asked.

Armin looked at her briefly. She could tell he was deep in his thoughts before he could answer her.

"I. I don't know what I plan to apply to, I know I don't have the skills required to enter the Military Police. But I refuse to die as a burden to mankind. All I know is that I will do whatever it takes to serve our people with a purpose." It wasn't the entirety of his answer, but that was the gist of it.

"Then you are lost."

Armin stared at her with bemusement, "W-What?"

"You have a goal in your mind that you wish to follow. But yet, you don't know which path to take. You follow under the assumption that by sticking to the objective that you planned out without taking into consideration what you must do, what you must sacrifice in order to achieve it, no matter the cost."

Annie brushed a few strands that got loosened from the wind, "You don't know how you are going to accomplish your goals. You just do it because you have to, without a second thought as to otherwise. You say you want to serve mankind by not being a burden, yet you haven't truly found your purpose or how to achieve it, and because of that, you are lost in this world Armin."

Armin was astounded. Annie was different from the other girls. She has a very deep train of thought and sense of philosophy. While the other female cadets had traits of their own that made them unique, it was Annie and her ideas that he found himself attracted to the most.

"Then, what about you?" Armin asked, "Where do you plan to apply for?"

Annie's gaze lowered, "I plan to apply to the Military Police. Everything I worked for is for that one purpose."

Armin wanted to ask why but decided to just respect her decision, "So I guess, you have your future planned out then."

Annie shook her head, "It's more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?" Armin questioned.

"Put it simply, I'm just like you. I'm lost in this world. And I must find myself following the long path to get the answer that I need to achieve. But until I can find it, I will remain lost in this world. Forever in turmoil until I am satisfied with the results of what I find." Annie explained.

Armin didn't understand much from that response. But he came to one conclusion: That they were both still wandering around, trying to find the answer to the question that they have put in front of themselves to find. And until they can come to that conclusion, they will still be wandering, lost in their search for the answer.

"I think I understand what you're trying to say." Armin concluded.

Annie didn't reply, she simply stared out into the lake. The breeze became stronger, and the wind caused the two of them to shiver from the chill. They should've worn ponchos to keep themselves warm for the night, but neither of them had initially thought they would end up like they are presently.

Armin noticed Annie shivering from the cold. He'd offer her some warmth, if only he had something to give.

As she continued to shiver, Armin's mind battled for the decision that he suddenly came to. It was a little drastic, but he didn't want to see her shivering like this. It took a few moments, but he made his choice.

Annie stiffened as she felt Armin wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Armin's cheeks were reddening as he scooted himself closer to her.

"What are you doing?" Annie asked dumbfounded.

"Combining our body heat so that we won't be as cold." Armin explained.

Annie wanted to reject his action. This isn't how things should be played out. She should berate him for interfering in her personal space.

But she couldn't.

His presence was nice. The contact between them, while small it may seem, it was very comforting for her. It was then she knew. What they have developed between the two of them would change how they feel for one another. It might not be a powerful change of feelings, but it was something strong nonetheless. And she knew that she would not be able to deny it, no matter how strong of a mask she puts on.

"Thank you." She simply said.

Annie laid her head against Armin's shoulder, enjoying the brief moments of closeness between the two. Armin's blush turned redder.

"No problem, Annie."

The two sat there. In mutual admiration and respect for one another. The silence between them was comfortable and the bond they developed was something that will change how they felt for each other.

"Armin."

"Yes, Annie?"

"Tell me more about the outside world. Tell me about the flaming mountains and the ocean."

They continued their moment of that night with Armin talking and Annie listening. They didn't know how long they had stayed out there for. They didn't care. In that moment, the two of them found something that they didn't intend to search for. And while it was only for that one night, the two could only think of how glad they were to be at one another's company. What the two of them had found, it was between them and them alone.

[%]

Armin couldn't sleep one night. His mind was thinking of everything that had happened in the past few days.

'_Why, Annie?'_

It had been days since the discovery of Annie Leonhardt being the Female Titan. The revelation shocked Eren, Armin and Jean. Armin had hoped that he had been wrong. He had hoped that he might have overlooked things, that it was all a mistake.

But the moment he had seen her face, the way her hair flowed down. He knew. In that instance, he knew who was controlling that Titan. How could he forget how her hair had looked when it was let down, how could he not make the similarity. How it looked the same as the Female Titan's.

All this time, she was the enemy. Armin was hurt, very hurt. Unlike Jean or Eren, he was better at hiding the emotional distress that bubbled in him. He remembered the moments the two shared with one another, whether it was an occasional hello or how are you. He remembered when they both made the decision of which military branch they should join. He remembered that night they shared under the moon and above the lake.

Armin believed that they each found the place that they belonged. Hers was the Military Police and his was the Survey Corps. Armin thought the answer he seeks lies in the district of Shiganshina. But now, everything was complicated.

What was he fighting for? And who was he fighting against? These are just two of the many questions that plagued his mind.

And there he is today, lying on the mattress of his bed as he contemplated everything that has happened.

His hand went into his pocket. He wrapped his fingers around the familiar object that he carried with him since that day.

After Annie encaged herself in the crystal prison, Armin and the rest of the Survey Corps watched as the Titan bodies of Eren and Annie disintegrate. When they had fully disappeared, Armin saw something fall to the ground where Annie's Titan form had laid.

He was the only one to notice, since no one questioned what he had grabbed off the ground.

Annie's hair band.

He clutched the object within his pocket. Thinking back to the days between them.

He didn't know why she did what she had to do. Why all this is happening? Why everything was so complicated all of a sudden?

Armin didn't know. But he knew one thing, that they were both very lost in this world. He was lost because the many mysteries of the Titans had clouded his guidance. And she was lost because she is trapped in that crystal, forestalling her from the goals that she was desperate to aim for.

But they both lost is the trust for one another. What they had found between themselves, was it forever lost? Can they salvage what they had lost between each other?

Armin didn't know.

**Well that kind of turned out not what I was expecting. Hopefully the others I wrote are better. Well I can tell you this much, the other stories have more Aruani moments then this.**

**Anyway, thank you for reading. And enjoy the week.**


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